Permanent Seminar on Teaching Philosophy

The Permanent Seminar on Teaching Philosophy in Secondary and Higher Education resumes its activities with a session led by Alessandro Chiessi (Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies), who will give a talk entitled “Hume: Human Nature and the Problem of the Self in Personal Identity”.

The session will take place on 6 November 2026 at 18:00 (Lisbon time / UTC), in room A002 at NOVA FCSH (Berna Campus) and online, via Zoom. It will last one hour, comprising a 30-minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of discussion.

To participate via Zoom, please contact: md@fcsh.unl.pt and susanacadilha@fcsh.unl.pt.

Abstract

This seminar aims to analyze the personal identity problem moving from the thought of David Hume. The first part—45 minutes—is devoted to the theoretical definition of the personal identity issue. Briefly reconstructing Hume’s theory of knowledge and comparing it to his philosophical anthropology, the personal identity problem comes out. On the one hand, the first book of the Treatise of Human Nature (1739-40) concludes with the impossibility of an impression of the Self—that is, a statement of the impossibility of an empirical self-perception based on an impression—implicitly suggesting that there is no idea of the self (T, I.IV.6). On the other hand, in the second book, which describes human anthropology and, in particular, the role of the passions—the emotions—in justifying sympathy, Hume writes about the idea and the lively impression of the self (T, II.I.11). The second part of the seminar—45 minutes—is devoted to the discussion of these questions moving from the passages mentioned above (T, I.IV.6 and II.I.11): are we faced with a contradiction? Why does Hume, in the first book, focused on the theory of knowledge, deny the impression of the self, while in the other books on Passions and Morality he presupposes it? Is empirically possible to perceive the Self, or should we presume it? The seminar will be conducted through close reading of selected passages, followed by open discussion. Students will be invited to reflect on the practical implications of Hume’s account of the self—particularly regarding moral responsibility, personal continuity over time, and the foundations of empathy—with a view to connecting these classical questions to contemporary debates in ethics.

Permanent Seminar

The seminar aims to create a forum for discussion on the teaching of philosophy, in conjunction with the Master’s programme in Teaching Philosophy. It welcomes anyone interested in reflecting collectively on teaching practice. Each session includes a theoretical presentation, preferably accompanied by suggestions for classroom application, followed by discussion and the sharing of experiences. Discussions will address practical questions in philosophy teaching, including challenges, strategies, solutions, and adaptations to different educational contexts.

Organisation

Dina Mendonça (ArgLab)
Luís Manuel Bernardo (EPLab)
Susana Cadilha (EPLab)